Miriam Bannon – USA

Executive Director – Migrant Farmworker Network

By Colette Rooney

04 Mar 2015

Executive Director – Migrant Farmworker Network

Catholic Migrant Farmworker Network (CMFN) promotes the formation of welcoming church communities by advocating social justice, dignity, and respect for all, in order that we may be a missionary church.

They are a national organization founded in 1986 that is dedicated to pastoral ministry and leadership development with migrant farmworkers and rural immigrants in the U.S. Since 1996 CMFN has provided faith formation and leadership development through Pastoral Courses and other workshops. The themes of these weekend programs include spirituality and leadership development. CMFN also coordinates Episcopal Visits to different states throughout the country as well as immersion experiences for college students and other interested groups.

Miriam is the Executive Director and the only person in the office. She is currently getting to grips with all the programmes, as she has only recently moved up to Ohio from a similar project in Mexico. She is also responsible for fundraising, and this is a big priority at the moment as the organisation runs entirely on donations and they need to increase their income.

Goals of CMFN:

To provide formation and resources for pastoral leaders who are working with rural migrants.

To promote pastoral leadership among rural immigrants.

To facilitate communication and collaboration among groups working with farmworkers.

To awaken the conscience of the Church and parishes about issues that affect migrants and their families in order to reach out in solidarity and action.